Friday, September 7, 2012

I haven't blogged yet specifically about OpenStreetMaps (OSM). On this post I'm going to talk a little bit about OSM and the easiness and importance of adding information.

For those that haven't heard about OSM the simplest explanation is: it's the Wikipedia for maps. A joint collaborative effort of thousands of people to create a free world map.

Recently OSM has gained a lot of traction, mostly because of the transition of some key players from other mapping technologies/data to OSM. Notable examples:

Foursquare

Apple

Wikipedia

Craigs List

I'm really glad that OSM is finally getting the exposure that it deserves, but I still feel that it's a niche thing. Everyone that likes maps obviously knows it, but it isn't as entrenched on our web culture as something like Wikipedia, and most people don't realize that there's a free mapping wiki where everyone can contribute with unique and valuable information.